Maybe not the whole selection but they are $1 to $2 each direct from the manufacturer, Sizzix in thier Outlet store on ebay. That’s a bargain considering what I bought some for a couple years ago, and for something that is discontinued! (and believe me no one is mourning that fact more than me!)

That’s also cheaper than you will find from other sellers on ebay or Etsy sellers.

And before I get anymore notes, *I* AM NOT SELLING ANY. You will have to use the links above.

They are so essential to my work I bought $40 worth a few times or several shapes I use all the time just to have duplicates of duplicates for the future when they are no longer available. I have so many now I have to stop looking at the site due to the urge to buy more – just in case! I think I have more than I will ever ever need.

So load up, while you can! I did god knows!

Here is a list of shapes as I know them, in no particular order:

1. BALLOON
2. STAR
3. STAR #2
4. PARTY HAT
5. POSEY
6. TEDDY BEAR
7. HAND
8. HEART #1
9. HEART #2
10. TROPICAL FISH
11. SUN
12. FOOT
13. MOON
14. TREE, PALM
15. STAR, PRIMITIVE #1
16. STAR, PRIMITIVE #2
17. HEART, PRIMITIVE #2
18. HEART, PRIMITIVE #1
19. Diamond
20. Oval
21. Water Splat
22. Buckle Maker
23. Button Hole #1
24. Button Hole #2
25. Circle #1 (3/4”)
26. Circle #2 (1/4”)
27. Circle #3 (1/2”)
28. Dragonfly
29. Leaf
30. Holly Leaf
31. Oak Leaf
32. Square #1
33. Square #2
34. Square #3
35. Rectangle
36. Funky Square
37. Wavy Square
38. Triangle
39. Two buttonholes
40. Four buttonholes
41. Boy paper doll
42. Girl paper doll
43. Dog
44. Cat
45. Swirl
46. Butterfly
47. Bat
48. Bookplate
49. PUMPKIN
50. BOW
51. Ice Cream Cone
52. Duck
53. Ghost
54. Frog
55. CAR
56. MUSIC NOTE
57. Postage Stamp
58. snowflake
59. snowman
60. Christmas tree

—

I’m often asked questions regarding what I use to make my pincushions with, particularly how I cut such fine shapes. So I thought I’d do a post on my short list of tools and materials I use.

I’m blessed in my location I have four Hobby Lobbies, a plethora of Joann’s (including a Joann Superstore) and a myriad of Micheals, as well as a few other chains, and count them TWO needlework stores within 40 miles of my house. A simple 15 minutes in any direction will have me in a craft store, sometimes more than two. I know not everyone is so lucky, but online stores are your friend for most of this. I buy my stuff in a combination of in stores and online. With gas prices anymore, it’s cheaper to pay for shipping versus driving for it.

As far as cutting shapes: I cheat.

I use a discontinued scrapbooking product by Sizzix called a Paddle Punch. You can really on find them on ebay anymore as well as craiglist. And if you can get them for $2 or less a piece before shipping, that’s a deal considering they sold for $6 each in stores.

Find them on ebay with this link – some weeks have more than others. I have a search set up there to mail me when new ones are listed.

One of the best stores to get them at on ebay is the Sizzix Outlet, they sell a great number of paddle punches, including the cutting mats. Paddles are available for $1 and they also have bulk lots as well. BEST DEAL ON EBAY.

There are over 50 patterns that were made, but all are small, most under 1.5 inches. There are a few kinds of leaves, with Holy and Oak being the two hardest to find, as well a couple kinds of flowers, and lots of geometrics. Also some specialty shapes that I’ll never likely use but I bought them in case I ever needed them. I recommend getting any you might want remotely want in duplicate, as in time these won’t be available anymore. I have some of my most used ones in triplicate. And if the handle breaks off one, I don’t throw it away, it goes into my “last resort” box.

There is a “paddle punch hammer” but truth is since I am using them for felt, I by pas it for a “lady hammer” or a picture hammer, with a bottlecap taped over the head to not mar the punch. I also use a 16 oz rubber mallet from a hardware store. Both can be under $4 each. Which one you use depends on the shape, I find some work better with one or the other, so I have both.

To use them I stack 4 to 5 layers of felt, on top of two sheets of paper (good use for junk mail, old magazines, or even scrap printer paper) on top of the Sizzix punch matt. It Is a extremely heavy matt and I do recommend them, they do hold up more than normal cutting mats I used before hand. Basically just try the hammers out till you find the ones that works best, some will need several hits around the edges, others can do just one swift solid thud to the center. You’ll just have to figure out what each ones needs. You’ll learn soon enough.

Other tools I use:

• Variety of scissors: Shears for cutting & and sharp tipped ones for fine details and embroidery
• Thread snippers – very useful for more than thread. I use them to also trim small corners and cut circles into “flowers” and take out stitches.
• Doll needles are essential to put in the buttons on thick pincushions. I have quite a collection. some from as long as some super heavy 8 inches long all the way down to 4″. When I found the 8″ ones it was the fleamarket and I squealed in joy, they are really hard to find. Dritz makes a nice thinner 5″ model available most everywhere, it has the bonus that it will also go through most buttonholes. Unlike my thick 8 inchers that can also kill a man.

My Materials:

• 100% post consumer recycled synthetic felt from Kunin. Joann’s carries this brand, but most stores have a very limited selection, you need to go to Createorless.com (search for “kunin felt”), they have the entire line – but you can only get 24 sheets of a color minimum. So use it for the colors you need a lot of or what you can’t ind locally, or sell the rest!
• I use Pearl/Perle cotton size 5 for the embroidery and construction. I also use Craft Thread, which is a cheaper version, but comes in bulk pack, and its nice for starting off with and then widening out to Pearl #5. I don’t like using Embroidery Floss, it’s not strong enough and the skeins while cheap are not very long. There are 27 yards in a skein of Pearl cotton. I have a DMC thread guide (thank you Micheals 50% off coupon) and I order any colors I can’t get at craft stores from Herrschers or at a local needlepoint store.
• Just ordinary polyfil for the inside.
• I get my fabric sticky labels that I “sign” my work with from Camillesquilts on etsy. Take a look! They stick FABULOUS on felt!

Hope this was useful for you, let me know if you have any further questions!